Weekend 5 Part 2: Ripples in the Water
LuciDreamer
Maliciously Incompetent
- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- He/Him
He was at an unfamiliar station, far closer to downtown than he had ever imagined having to go. Compared to the rail station closest to his home, this one felt a lot more claustrophobic. The ceiling was low, and the hallways were thin. The platform itself was lined with vendors and streamers and people. Silas had to force himself not to think that all of their eyes were following him. Peeking over the heads of the crowd, he tried to follow the signs to the right exit; they led him down a set of escalators, through the ticket machine, across a skybridge, and then down another set of escalators. At last, he emerged out into the street. An impossibly bright ray of sunshine forced him to cover his eyes.
"Oi. Ooooi! Yamigawa-senpai!"
Silas strained his eyes; Kei's black mop of hair was only barely-distinguishable from everyone else's black-moppy hair, but by following the sound of his voice, his eyes eventually found him. Silas cut through the crowd, at times having to brush uncomfortably close against some of the complete strangers on the street, but when he had finally got close, Kei grabbed him by the cuffs of his jacket it and yanked him out.
"Whew!" Kei held back a chuckle. "You looked like a lost puppy in there, senpai."
"...would you believe it if that wasn't the first time s-someone has called me that this week?" Silas grinned. This time, Kei couldn't help but laugh at him. "Anyway, Kei-kun. This is… a bit of a strange question, but how is Yuuko-san doing?"
"Ah. Yuuko… " Kei's grin turned cheshire. "About that. Thank you so much for your anonymous tip, senpai."
"Heh? Heh?!" Silas shook his head. "I-I have… no idea at all what you're talking about…" he said unconvincingly.
Kei folded his arms. "Senpai. You've done this before. Or did you think I would forget?"
"S-Sorry?" Silas muttered, looking away.
"Sorry?!" Kei looked affronted. "Why are you apologizing?! You helped me keep - oh, nevermind." He beckoned Silas to lean in closer. "So…" he spoke into his ear. "...yeah. I talked to Yuuko-chan about it. I… think she's better, now."
Silas hesitated. "Do you mind… telling me what was wrong with her? I… I-I just want to know why she freaked out."
Kei sucked in air from between his teeth. "I'd… rather not say, being honest." He stepped backwards. "I… please don't think about it. It's not something senpai needs to worry himself over!" Kei thumped his heart with his fist. "Yuuko-chan can handle it herself. She assured me as much. And I trust her. And even if she can't, I'll always be there for her… a-as her friend."
Kei politely coughed into the palm of his hand. For some reason, a tension seemed to have grabbed hold of him, and he was biting his lip. "So yeah," he declared. "That's… the final word on all of that. Leave it to us, senpai."
"Erm. Have I o-overstepped my social boundaries?"
"What?" Kei's eyes looked wide. "No, no, no! Like I said, you helped me keep my promise to Miss Sayori. You… gave me important information. Gosh, senpai. Social boundaries. Pfft. Those are stupid, anyway. They're for grandparents and politicians. Not me."
Silas frowned slightly. "Yuuko-san seems to put a lot of importance on them…"
"She shouldn't, though!" At this, Kei's forehead started to turn a little red. "What's the point of them, anyway?"
"Uh… enforcing the status quo of the state by encouraging that which is familiar to and/or convenient for the sensibilities of the ruling class in a process of cultural hegemonization?" Silas blurted. He suddenly blushed, embarrassed, and turned away. "...o-or… something like that… a-anyway… it's a… theory I read somewhere..."
Kei blinked several times. "You talk weird, senpai. You sound like one of those professors in Auntie's humanities classes."
"Is that a bad… thing?"
"Not at all!" Kei smiled brightly. "I don't really know what you said, but you agreed with me that social norms are stupid, right? Just with more words! Who cares how you act or what you like, so long as you don't hurt others, right? It's your own business!"
"I guess…" Silas prodded his lip. "I-I think… what you think is… a bit… unrefined? Yeah, that's the word. But unrefined doesn't mean you're… entirely wrong."
"Cool!" Kei blinked his eyes again. "You should talk with Auntie someday. I think she'd like you."
"I feel like, if she's half as lively as you, I'd pass out from t-the interaction…"
Kei bellowed and punched him playfully in the arm. Afterwards, he led Silas through a confusing system of side streets and alleyways, where the traffic of people was scant and the hubbub of the main road was far away. He seemed to know the area very well. All the while, Kei chatted with him. He was a surprisingly spirited talker, and his head was full of heartfelt opinions.
Once or twice, the conversation, horrifyingly, shifted over to himself, and Kei would pepper him with questions, looking for his approval. Silas would try to answer as noncommittally as possible, but every now and then Kei cornered him and demanded some argument from him - and it was always the kind of argument Silas hated giving.
It wasn't until they reached the building Kei explicitly pointed out as their shared apartment block that Silas realized that he really liked talking with him. He had a sort of naive bullheadedness to him that made him hard to converse with, but made talking with him fun nonetheless.
I wonder… He mused. Do I like that about him because I wish I were more like that…?
"...and Yuushi lives on top," Kei finished explaining. "The building is pretty nice, but it has some weird, stringent security protocols. Like, you always have to have your keycard with you just to get through the gate. Can you believe that? It's so..." He searched for the word. "...bougie."
He made to push the gate doors open, only to suddenly realize that the thing wouldn't budge. He tried again.
"Maybe it's to k-keep out miscreants like you?" Silas said slyly.
"Oh, ha ha. Senpai, the pinnacle of dry wit. Gatekeeper Toshiro-san must have actually done his job today. That's a shame. Gimme a sec…"
"Erm, yeah, sure, what are… wha - what are you doing?!"
Silas hadn't even had a chance to think and Kei was already scrambling up the wall, using a nearby garbage can as support. "A-Aren't the tips of the gate sharp?!"
"Yes!" Kei winced as he prepared to barrel over the top. "But don't worry! There's something behind here to break my fa - AAAAH - "
With a soft thump, Kei's body fell over the other side of the wall, cutting off his sudden yelp. Silas swore he heard a soft cracking sound.
"Um." Silas stared at the spot Kei was just at. "Kei-kun?"
He flinched as Kei suddenly appeared on the other side of the wall, behind the gate. "Yeesh. I messed up the landing there a bit."
"That wall is two times the size of you!" Silas exclaimed. "How c-can you be so… cavalier…?!"
Kei gave him the biggest grin he'd seen all day. "Because it's fun!" he said simply. Unlocking the gate, Kei gestured Silas inside. "Now come on in, senpai. I need to show you up to Yuuko-chan's room, and all that."
"A-Aren't you afraid of screwing up?" Silas said. "Aren't you afraid that you'll wind up being hurt?"
Kei looked at him strangely. He scratched something under the hem of his shirt. "Well yeah. Of course I am. But I'm better than that, senpai. I won't let myself fail. Are you going to stay at the edge of the gate forever? Yuushi's waiting for you."
Silas couldn't find a way to emote his feelings on the matter, so he just clammed up and let Kei lead him once more into unfamiliar territory. The apartment loomed ahead of him.
Silas has discovered one of Kei's traits!
Rebellious - Kei seems to have a deep mistrust and dislike of central authority, as well as things like cultural norms and social rules. Kei pursues what he wishes to pursue, and damn what anyone else thinks. (+2 COUR. Kei is more likely to roll for COUR when initiating social actions. Kei has access to several unorthodox skills and hobbies, and he loves spiders.)
Slipping off his shoes, Silas put on one of the indoor slippers next to the shoe rack. "Yuuko's apartment is… actually really nice," he mumbled to himself. He was currently standing in a living room with a large ceiling, furnished with a few sofas and a large television set; behind that was the kitchen, and then the dining room, and there was a small hallway on the right side where he assumed all of the bedrooms were.
"Yep! Miss Sayori is pretty wealthy. She's a news anchor. She actually stood in for Minami in the Morning Report once, did you know that?"
"She did? I… must have not noticed. Sorry…" Silas replied.
"And then there's Mister Taro, err - Yuushi's father. He's a hard working salaryman. I think he's an engineer for the Miyao Extraction and Oil-Worker's Syndicate. He's really cool! So quiet and mild-mannered."
"...MEOWS?" Silas said, sounding out the acronym. "...really?"
Kei suddenly had a thought occur to him, like a lightning strike had hit him in the head. He spun around. "Oh! Senpai, please. Stay here for a moment. I need to grab Yuuko-chan. I'll be but a moment! Grab a drink on the table or something!"
He darted into the hallway on the left. "I'll be right back!" And then the door slammed shut.
Silas approached the dining area somewhat cautiously. Fancy-looking glassware goblets had been arranged around the table, each about three-fourths full of some light pink, bubbly drink. Plates and placemats had been set, enough for four people. Silverware had been oriented at precise angles, and at the center sat a very innocuous pile of pastries, donuts, and crepes. Also, the tablecloth was pastel white.
...it looked like something out of a political thriller. As in, one where the main villain goes, "And now that the agenda is dealt with, let's have a toast. To victory," and then everyone at the dinner table drinks and starts coughing up blood from the poison while he smiles at them magnanimously.
It wasn't until he heard the giggle that he realized that he had been saying all of that aloud.
"That was oddly specific. I certainly don't like having our hospitality compared to the machinations of some movie villain, but, I'll admit… that sounds awesome! Eheh. Do you always think in long-winded metaphors like this, senpai?"
Silas's hands went to cover his mouth. His ears started to burn. "Err, sorry, Yuuko," he said, turning around. "I n-need to stop blurting my thoughts aloud so much… it's a bit careless of me, isn't it..."
Curiously, her hair was up in a ponytail today. She subconsciously brushed away a stray strand from her forehead and grinned at him. "Oh, trust me, I'm used to it. I mean," she lowered her head mischievously, "I'm Kei's best friend. And he's like an open book! Can't keep a secret to save his life."
"I CAN HEAR YOU, AND YOU KNOW THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Kei's voice thundered from the other side of the apartment. Silas suppressed a flinch.
"Hehe." She rubbed her index fingers together. "So. Senpai! I'm so glad you came!" She bowed once, twice. "Mom doesn't usually do catering, but she was free earlier today and set everything up! I hope it's not too much!"
"I might not eat a lot, but there's definitely a lot of choice, and that's… err… you could say that's commendable."
Yuuko raised an eyebrow. You idiot, you just insulted her hospitality! Again! Commendable? COMMENDABLE?! Who raised you?!
"...or, err, I think a better way to describe it is good. I mean - no… I'm sorry, I can't think of a proper word…"
"You don't have to force yourself to like it…"
"But I do like it! I just… can't find the… words…?" Silas stammered. "I mean, I have nothing against sugar, I just, err, a-at some point it gets too much…? That besides, I already had something approaching I don't know maybe 30 grams of sugar this morning from a piece of chocolate, something that reminds me of home, you know…"
God he was bad at this.
"Aww, senpai, don't be so hard on yourself!"
"Ghk - " Silas cringed. "I spoke out loud again?"
"Again?" Yuuko looked confused. She giggled. "You're very odd, senpai!"
"I'm sorry…"
"...i-in a good way!" She clarified quickly, waving her arms disarmingly. "I think it's very cute, actually. You're very cute."
"Cute...?" Silas's first response was to brush it off, and laugh. It was such a harmless, random remark, he was about to tell himself. Only it wasn't. A horrible feeling started to build up in his gut. Wait a minute...
That's… not something people say to each other nonchalantly.
Kei was sitting down at the table now. He was saying something about his Auntie's professor. Silas caught him in the eye, and he grinned, but his look turned glum the second his gaze returned to Yuuko. That tension from earlier… does he know?
Yuuko looked mildly flustered. Did she not mean to say that? She was brushing her hair a lot - Wait, didn't he read that one BL manga where the guy changed his hairdo to subtly show the boy he was in love with that he was attracted to him? Is that a thing people do in real life, too?
The closer he got to the center of this little micro-narrative, the more uneasy it made him feel. He couldn't even hear what anyone else was saying. Were they saying anything? Oh, no… my awkwardness has radiated out into the table. Now everyone's infected.
...at least if this were the political thriller plot, I would have the solace of knowing that I get to die in the end! This is worse! So, so much worse!
...wait. No. No, no, no, no. You can salvage this. What would Yumika do?
Silas tried to form an image of Yumika in his mind. For some reason, the image he made was a Yumika whose face was half-covered in shadow, her body turned towards with a window in the background, the blinds dimmed. Her eyes were half-lidded, almost lazy. She had an aura of almost inhuman calmness.
"Hmm… an interesting conundrum, Sai-kun! Here's what I recommend. Yuuko seems to really like you, and Kei knows that. But he respects his dear senpai too much to really hold it against you! And since he likes Yuuko himself (don't hold me on that, it's just a guess), it's not like he can be angry at Yuuko! Don't you see, Sai-kun? You have nothing to fear. Neither party wants to bring up the subject of Yuuko's affection in front of the other. So don't bring it up. Glance it off! Pretend you didn't make the connection."
"You can be pretty clueless at the best of times, so it's not like they'll know enough about you to call you out on it." Yumika winked. "Just don't try that same trick on me…" And then she disappeared from his subconscious.
...I have a strange way of internalizing my emotional troubles, Silas concluded. He finally looked up. Yuuko was looking unbearably comfortable, trying to engage in some sparse small-talk with Kei.
He cleared his throat. "Um. So…" The two immediately looked to him. "I haven't… said anything for a while, h-have I?" he asked.
"Um… no?" Yuuko said, somewhat confused.
"Oh!" He sighed in relief. "T-That's good! Because I was worried that all of my… you know… internal thoughts were leaking out again."
"Internal thoughts like what?" Kei asked.
"I was having a crisis over what to say first to start a conversation and I… may have zoned out for a bit, there." Well, I'm not lying, per se.
"Oh. Is that… it?" Yuuko asked hopefully.
"Y-Yeah!" Silas nodded. "I'm… very unfocused a lot of the time… not used to… being around people…" He chuckled and sank into his seat slightly. Once more, not a lie. I think I'm doing good. "It's stressful."
"Oh. Oh! No, no, I totally understand that feeling, senpai, err - " She blushed. "So… you're not embarrassed?"
"I have something to be embarrassed about?" He asked innocently. Stretching it a bit, but neither of them will know that.
Yuuko blinked. "...n-no. Uh. No. You don't. You don't! Absolutely nothing!"
Kei was pressing his palm into his face. "You two, I swear, you're like birds of a feather, talking completely past each other…" He looked at Silas with one eye and grinned. Don't give it away, don't give it away...
"K-Keichi! Be nice to the guest!" Yuuko exclaimed.
"Niceties are for grandparents and politicians," he shot back drily. "Senpai, now that you're back with us, could you eat something? Your plate is empty. No good in wasting good food! Especially if mom made it."
"Oh yeah? Well, w-why aren't you eating anything, Keichi?!" Yuuko turned to him. She still seemed somewhat jittery. "If you leave it to just the two of us, we're gonna get fat!"
"Oh, but Yuuko-chan, you already are fat." he replied smugly. "And, my mom's the cook. I get special pri - hang on, what are - no, no, wait I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryIdidn'tnonono MMMF - !"
"Please excuse him, senpai!" Yuuko said as Kei choked on the muffin she was busy shoving into his mouth. "Like I said, Keichi tends to run his mouth sometimes. It's an effort to shut him up!"
After a few seconds, Kei swallowed harshly, at let out a loud burp. At this, he clutched his chest, a wild smile on his face. "...worth it!"
"Heh. Ehe. Keichi can be such a dumb, you know?" Yuuko fanned her face with her fingers. Her cheeks looked particularly hot, and when she turned to look at Silas, she didn't quite make eye contact. "...Yamigawa-senpai, you don't agree with him. Right?"
"T-This sounds like its personal between you and him and I'd rather not get involved," Silas said quickly.
"It's not a personal thing! It's a matter of objective fact!" Yuuko insisted.
"Well, body weight is an objective fact, but one's perspective of one's own weight is pretty s-subjective, isn't it?!" Silas said. "I-I mean, no matter what I say, y-you were going to go on believing what you believed in the first place, right?"
Yuuko looked struck. "...so you agree with him."
"T-That's not what I meant!" Okay, well it sort of is, but that's not important -
The table lurched; Yuuko had risen from her seat. She looked like she was trying to burn holes through his skull with her eyes. At the same time, Kei had started giggling madly, and -
Oh.
Oh he had done it again.
"You…!" Yuuko's burning rage was gone all too soon, and she just stood there, meekly, intermittently glancing between her plate stacked high with sugar and Silas. "...are… probably right, actually."
"I-I-I didn't mean to say it out loud - !"
"But you're right, though! I… really do have a problem with sugar, ha…" She sat back down, and turned her face. "...gosh. You're lucky you're so cute - FUCK!"
Silas was drinking fruit punch from his goblet as she said this. He put the goblet down to see Yuuko burying her face in her hands. He bit his lip, trying desperately to maintain a passive, calm expression, and he said, innocently, "What is it?"
"...you didn't hear what I just said?"
"You were… s-saying… something?" Silas shrugged. There was a sudden bang; Kei had slammed his head onto the table, and his entire body was shaking in suppressed, wheezy laughter.
...oh god, she really does have a crush on me. I'll... I'll need to address this, eventually... how does this work? Should I like her back? But, no, I don't - I don't think I know her well enough. Do I?
And that besides, why would a person like me? Of all people? Is it a genuine kind of liking? Will she get bored of me? Will I frighten her? Arrgh, so many questions... I wonder if Big Sister can help me in that vein.
"Yuushi, are we suuuure senpai is 001-positive? He seems like an idiot."
"K-Kei-kun! Don't divulge classified information until after we subject senpai to the memetic trigger! And don't call senpai an idiot!"
"...hah?" Silas was genuinely confused now.
"Nothing!" They both said in unison.
"You'll find out later!" Yuuko said.
"You'll forget all about this if you come up negative, anyway, so it's all good," Kei added.
"Well… I wouldn't want him to forget about everything!"
"Fine, you'll forget about all the weird parts if you're negative." Kei rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about it, senpai. The three of us have it under control."
"Yeah!"
"Actually, speaking of which…" Silas was starting to wonder where Maeda even was. It seemed strange that she wasn't here, even if her non-presence was a lot more comforting than her presence. Was she busy? Was she… coming?
He heard a tiny click behind him.
"Maeda-senpai!" Yuuko was beaming.
"Yo." Maeda's voice sounded from the door, and Silas turned around to look at her - she seemed surprisingly relaxed when she was't wearing her jet-black Student Council uniform. She quickly slipped off her shoes. "I apologize for being late. I got caught up in some Student Council duties… actual Student Council duties." She groaned. "They're a real pain. It's nice to see you two again! ...oh. Hello, Yamigawa-kun."
He could practically feel the ice in the words - but for some reason, it didn't seem like they were directed at him with any kind of malevolence. "I was… actually hoping you would have come a little later."
"A-Am I intruding?" Silas asked.
Maeda waved her hands. "Oh, no, no. Nothing like that. I wanted to put this off until later… it's nothing." She looked away.
"...senpai. Now that you're here, come join us at the table!" Yuuko exclaimed.
Silas spoke up: "Yeah, err, Maeda-san, it will be nice to have you here… I… sort of… thought maybe… "
Maeda seemed to be considering it for a moment. But she hesitated. She looked at Silas, and for some reason he thought he could sense a feeling of… guilt? And still, she started towards the table. Her body was on the edge of pushing her towards the confectionaries. But she stopped herself.
"...no, I'm going to have to disappoint you, Yuuko. I do have a job to do, don't we? It'd be inappropriate. We'll continue this afterwards." She tried to smile.
"Huahh, Maeda-senpai is all business." Kei smirked. "Maeda-senpai, you have all the things you need? You won't need my or Yuuko-chan's help, will you?"
"I have the folder here with me," she tapped her purse. "And… you know you're not cleared to administer it, Kei. I'm sorry." She grinned. "I'll take care of it. You deserve a break! You've been doing so much recently."
She motioned towards Silas. "Come on, Yamigawa-kun. Now is… now is the time to start your Kimodameshi."
There was a strong, inherent… wrongness, with the way she said it. But he was in the heart of it now; it wasn't like he could turn back.
What was this feeling crawling up his throat? He could feel it in him; he could feel it coaxing him to push from his chair, and make his way towards her. A shaking, terrifying anticipation completely had him in its grip.
"...yeah. I guess it is. Lead the way, Maeda-san."
"We'll make use of one of Yuuko's spare bedrooms."
Yuuko made a faint noise of disapproval, but he was already gone from the table.
Silas has discovered several of Yuuko's traits!
Junior Cinnamon Bun - Yuuko is absolutely brimming with almost childish playfulness and innocence. To some, this is a sign of immaturity… but frankly, she couldn't give a damn. That being said, her insistence on maintaining her innocence makes it difficult for her to to morally dubious things. (+2 to all social actions, -3 to intrigue actions.)
Hopeless Romantic - Yuuko falls in love rather easily. This… tends to also means that she is disappointed easily, when it turns out her love isn't reciprocal. (Advantage on social actions with people whom Yuuko has a Crush. Disadvantage on all social actions with people whom Yuuko has had a Crush in the past. It is stupid easy to tell when Yuuko has a crush on someone or not.)
Silas has discovered that Yuuko has a crush on him! He still can't decide what to do about this.
[] It's not like Yuuko isn't pretty… (Silas thinks Yuuko is kind of cute too, actually.)
[] ...but Silas just doesn't see her that way. (Silas is flattered, but doesn't return her feelings.)
Continued in the next update. . .
"Oi. Ooooi! Yamigawa-senpai!"
Silas strained his eyes; Kei's black mop of hair was only barely-distinguishable from everyone else's black-moppy hair, but by following the sound of his voice, his eyes eventually found him. Silas cut through the crowd, at times having to brush uncomfortably close against some of the complete strangers on the street, but when he had finally got close, Kei grabbed him by the cuffs of his jacket it and yanked him out.
"Whew!" Kei held back a chuckle. "You looked like a lost puppy in there, senpai."
"...would you believe it if that wasn't the first time s-someone has called me that this week?" Silas grinned. This time, Kei couldn't help but laugh at him. "Anyway, Kei-kun. This is… a bit of a strange question, but how is Yuuko-san doing?"
"Ah. Yuuko… " Kei's grin turned cheshire. "About that. Thank you so much for your anonymous tip, senpai."
"Heh? Heh?!" Silas shook his head. "I-I have… no idea at all what you're talking about…" he said unconvincingly.
Kei folded his arms. "Senpai. You've done this before. Or did you think I would forget?"
"S-Sorry?" Silas muttered, looking away.
"Sorry?!" Kei looked affronted. "Why are you apologizing?! You helped me keep - oh, nevermind." He beckoned Silas to lean in closer. "So…" he spoke into his ear. "...yeah. I talked to Yuuko-chan about it. I… think she's better, now."
Silas hesitated. "Do you mind… telling me what was wrong with her? I… I-I just want to know why she freaked out."
Kei sucked in air from between his teeth. "I'd… rather not say, being honest." He stepped backwards. "I… please don't think about it. It's not something senpai needs to worry himself over!" Kei thumped his heart with his fist. "Yuuko-chan can handle it herself. She assured me as much. And I trust her. And even if she can't, I'll always be there for her… a-as her friend."
Kei politely coughed into the palm of his hand. For some reason, a tension seemed to have grabbed hold of him, and he was biting his lip. "So yeah," he declared. "That's… the final word on all of that. Leave it to us, senpai."
"Erm. Have I o-overstepped my social boundaries?"
"What?" Kei's eyes looked wide. "No, no, no! Like I said, you helped me keep my promise to Miss Sayori. You… gave me important information. Gosh, senpai. Social boundaries. Pfft. Those are stupid, anyway. They're for grandparents and politicians. Not me."
Silas frowned slightly. "Yuuko-san seems to put a lot of importance on them…"
"She shouldn't, though!" At this, Kei's forehead started to turn a little red. "What's the point of them, anyway?"
"Uh… enforcing the status quo of the state by encouraging that which is familiar to and/or convenient for the sensibilities of the ruling class in a process of cultural hegemonization?" Silas blurted. He suddenly blushed, embarrassed, and turned away. "...o-or… something like that… a-anyway… it's a… theory I read somewhere..."
Kei blinked several times. "You talk weird, senpai. You sound like one of those professors in Auntie's humanities classes."
"Is that a bad… thing?"
"Not at all!" Kei smiled brightly. "I don't really know what you said, but you agreed with me that social norms are stupid, right? Just with more words! Who cares how you act or what you like, so long as you don't hurt others, right? It's your own business!"
"I guess…" Silas prodded his lip. "I-I think… what you think is… a bit… unrefined? Yeah, that's the word. But unrefined doesn't mean you're… entirely wrong."
"Cool!" Kei blinked his eyes again. "You should talk with Auntie someday. I think she'd like you."
"I feel like, if she's half as lively as you, I'd pass out from t-the interaction…"
Kei bellowed and punched him playfully in the arm. Afterwards, he led Silas through a confusing system of side streets and alleyways, where the traffic of people was scant and the hubbub of the main road was far away. He seemed to know the area very well. All the while, Kei chatted with him. He was a surprisingly spirited talker, and his head was full of heartfelt opinions.
Once or twice, the conversation, horrifyingly, shifted over to himself, and Kei would pepper him with questions, looking for his approval. Silas would try to answer as noncommittally as possible, but every now and then Kei cornered him and demanded some argument from him - and it was always the kind of argument Silas hated giving.
It wasn't until they reached the building Kei explicitly pointed out as their shared apartment block that Silas realized that he really liked talking with him. He had a sort of naive bullheadedness to him that made him hard to converse with, but made talking with him fun nonetheless.
I wonder… He mused. Do I like that about him because I wish I were more like that…?
"...and Yuushi lives on top," Kei finished explaining. "The building is pretty nice, but it has some weird, stringent security protocols. Like, you always have to have your keycard with you just to get through the gate. Can you believe that? It's so..." He searched for the word. "...bougie."
He made to push the gate doors open, only to suddenly realize that the thing wouldn't budge. He tried again.
"Maybe it's to k-keep out miscreants like you?" Silas said slyly.
"Oh, ha ha. Senpai, the pinnacle of dry wit. Gatekeeper Toshiro-san must have actually done his job today. That's a shame. Gimme a sec…"
"Erm, yeah, sure, what are… wha - what are you doing?!"
Silas hadn't even had a chance to think and Kei was already scrambling up the wall, using a nearby garbage can as support. "A-Aren't the tips of the gate sharp?!"
"Yes!" Kei winced as he prepared to barrel over the top. "But don't worry! There's something behind here to break my fa - AAAAH - "
With a soft thump, Kei's body fell over the other side of the wall, cutting off his sudden yelp. Silas swore he heard a soft cracking sound.
"Um." Silas stared at the spot Kei was just at. "Kei-kun?"
He flinched as Kei suddenly appeared on the other side of the wall, behind the gate. "Yeesh. I messed up the landing there a bit."
"That wall is two times the size of you!" Silas exclaimed. "How c-can you be so… cavalier…?!"
Kei gave him the biggest grin he'd seen all day. "Because it's fun!" he said simply. Unlocking the gate, Kei gestured Silas inside. "Now come on in, senpai. I need to show you up to Yuuko-chan's room, and all that."
"A-Aren't you afraid of screwing up?" Silas said. "Aren't you afraid that you'll wind up being hurt?"
Kei looked at him strangely. He scratched something under the hem of his shirt. "Well yeah. Of course I am. But I'm better than that, senpai. I won't let myself fail. Are you going to stay at the edge of the gate forever? Yuushi's waiting for you."
Silas couldn't find a way to emote his feelings on the matter, so he just clammed up and let Kei lead him once more into unfamiliar territory. The apartment loomed ahead of him.
<><><>
Silas has discovered one of Kei's traits!
Rebellious - Kei seems to have a deep mistrust and dislike of central authority, as well as things like cultural norms and social rules. Kei pursues what he wishes to pursue, and damn what anyone else thinks. (+2 COUR. Kei is more likely to roll for COUR when initiating social actions. Kei has access to several unorthodox skills and hobbies, and he loves spiders.)
<><><>
Slipping off his shoes, Silas put on one of the indoor slippers next to the shoe rack. "Yuuko's apartment is… actually really nice," he mumbled to himself. He was currently standing in a living room with a large ceiling, furnished with a few sofas and a large television set; behind that was the kitchen, and then the dining room, and there was a small hallway on the right side where he assumed all of the bedrooms were.
"Yep! Miss Sayori is pretty wealthy. She's a news anchor. She actually stood in for Minami in the Morning Report once, did you know that?"
"She did? I… must have not noticed. Sorry…" Silas replied.
"And then there's Mister Taro, err - Yuushi's father. He's a hard working salaryman. I think he's an engineer for the Miyao Extraction and Oil-Worker's Syndicate. He's really cool! So quiet and mild-mannered."
"...MEOWS?" Silas said, sounding out the acronym. "...really?"
Kei suddenly had a thought occur to him, like a lightning strike had hit him in the head. He spun around. "Oh! Senpai, please. Stay here for a moment. I need to grab Yuuko-chan. I'll be but a moment! Grab a drink on the table or something!"
He darted into the hallway on the left. "I'll be right back!" And then the door slammed shut.
Silas approached the dining area somewhat cautiously. Fancy-looking glassware goblets had been arranged around the table, each about three-fourths full of some light pink, bubbly drink. Plates and placemats had been set, enough for four people. Silverware had been oriented at precise angles, and at the center sat a very innocuous pile of pastries, donuts, and crepes. Also, the tablecloth was pastel white.
...it looked like something out of a political thriller. As in, one where the main villain goes, "And now that the agenda is dealt with, let's have a toast. To victory," and then everyone at the dinner table drinks and starts coughing up blood from the poison while he smiles at them magnanimously.
It wasn't until he heard the giggle that he realized that he had been saying all of that aloud.
"That was oddly specific. I certainly don't like having our hospitality compared to the machinations of some movie villain, but, I'll admit… that sounds awesome! Eheh. Do you always think in long-winded metaphors like this, senpai?"
Silas's hands went to cover his mouth. His ears started to burn. "Err, sorry, Yuuko," he said, turning around. "I n-need to stop blurting my thoughts aloud so much… it's a bit careless of me, isn't it..."
Curiously, her hair was up in a ponytail today. She subconsciously brushed away a stray strand from her forehead and grinned at him. "Oh, trust me, I'm used to it. I mean," she lowered her head mischievously, "I'm Kei's best friend. And he's like an open book! Can't keep a secret to save his life."
"I CAN HEAR YOU, AND YOU KNOW THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Kei's voice thundered from the other side of the apartment. Silas suppressed a flinch.
"Hehe." She rubbed her index fingers together. "So. Senpai! I'm so glad you came!" She bowed once, twice. "Mom doesn't usually do catering, but she was free earlier today and set everything up! I hope it's not too much!"
"I might not eat a lot, but there's definitely a lot of choice, and that's… err… you could say that's commendable."
Yuuko raised an eyebrow. You idiot, you just insulted her hospitality! Again! Commendable? COMMENDABLE?! Who raised you?!
"...or, err, I think a better way to describe it is good. I mean - no… I'm sorry, I can't think of a proper word…"
"You don't have to force yourself to like it…"
"But I do like it! I just… can't find the… words…?" Silas stammered. "I mean, I have nothing against sugar, I just, err, a-at some point it gets too much…? That besides, I already had something approaching I don't know maybe 30 grams of sugar this morning from a piece of chocolate, something that reminds me of home, you know…"
God he was bad at this.
"Aww, senpai, don't be so hard on yourself!"
"Ghk - " Silas cringed. "I spoke out loud again?"
"Again?" Yuuko looked confused. She giggled. "You're very odd, senpai!"
"I'm sorry…"
"...i-in a good way!" She clarified quickly, waving her arms disarmingly. "I think it's very cute, actually. You're very cute."
"Cute...?" Silas's first response was to brush it off, and laugh. It was such a harmless, random remark, he was about to tell himself. Only it wasn't. A horrible feeling started to build up in his gut. Wait a minute...
That's… not something people say to each other nonchalantly.
Kei was sitting down at the table now. He was saying something about his Auntie's professor. Silas caught him in the eye, and he grinned, but his look turned glum the second his gaze returned to Yuuko. That tension from earlier… does he know?
Yuuko looked mildly flustered. Did she not mean to say that? She was brushing her hair a lot - Wait, didn't he read that one BL manga where the guy changed his hairdo to subtly show the boy he was in love with that he was attracted to him? Is that a thing people do in real life, too?
The closer he got to the center of this little micro-narrative, the more uneasy it made him feel. He couldn't even hear what anyone else was saying. Were they saying anything? Oh, no… my awkwardness has radiated out into the table. Now everyone's infected.
...at least if this were the political thriller plot, I would have the solace of knowing that I get to die in the end! This is worse! So, so much worse!
...wait. No. No, no, no, no. You can salvage this. What would Yumika do?
Silas tried to form an image of Yumika in his mind. For some reason, the image he made was a Yumika whose face was half-covered in shadow, her body turned towards with a window in the background, the blinds dimmed. Her eyes were half-lidded, almost lazy. She had an aura of almost inhuman calmness.
"Hmm… an interesting conundrum, Sai-kun! Here's what I recommend. Yuuko seems to really like you, and Kei knows that. But he respects his dear senpai too much to really hold it against you! And since he likes Yuuko himself (don't hold me on that, it's just a guess), it's not like he can be angry at Yuuko! Don't you see, Sai-kun? You have nothing to fear. Neither party wants to bring up the subject of Yuuko's affection in front of the other. So don't bring it up. Glance it off! Pretend you didn't make the connection."
"You can be pretty clueless at the best of times, so it's not like they'll know enough about you to call you out on it." Yumika winked. "Just don't try that same trick on me…" And then she disappeared from his subconscious.
...I have a strange way of internalizing my emotional troubles, Silas concluded. He finally looked up. Yuuko was looking unbearably comfortable, trying to engage in some sparse small-talk with Kei.
He cleared his throat. "Um. So…" The two immediately looked to him. "I haven't… said anything for a while, h-have I?" he asked.
"Um… no?" Yuuko said, somewhat confused.
"Oh!" He sighed in relief. "T-That's good! Because I was worried that all of my… you know… internal thoughts were leaking out again."
"Internal thoughts like what?" Kei asked.
"I was having a crisis over what to say first to start a conversation and I… may have zoned out for a bit, there." Well, I'm not lying, per se.
"Oh. Is that… it?" Yuuko asked hopefully.
"Y-Yeah!" Silas nodded. "I'm… very unfocused a lot of the time… not used to… being around people…" He chuckled and sank into his seat slightly. Once more, not a lie. I think I'm doing good. "It's stressful."
"Oh. Oh! No, no, I totally understand that feeling, senpai, err - " She blushed. "So… you're not embarrassed?"
"I have something to be embarrassed about?" He asked innocently. Stretching it a bit, but neither of them will know that.
Yuuko blinked. "...n-no. Uh. No. You don't. You don't! Absolutely nothing!"
Kei was pressing his palm into his face. "You two, I swear, you're like birds of a feather, talking completely past each other…" He looked at Silas with one eye and grinned. Don't give it away, don't give it away...
"K-Keichi! Be nice to the guest!" Yuuko exclaimed.
"Niceties are for grandparents and politicians," he shot back drily. "Senpai, now that you're back with us, could you eat something? Your plate is empty. No good in wasting good food! Especially if mom made it."
"Oh yeah? Well, w-why aren't you eating anything, Keichi?!" Yuuko turned to him. She still seemed somewhat jittery. "If you leave it to just the two of us, we're gonna get fat!"
"Oh, but Yuuko-chan, you already are fat." he replied smugly. "And, my mom's the cook. I get special pri - hang on, what are - no, no, wait I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryIdidn'tnonono MMMF - !"
"Please excuse him, senpai!" Yuuko said as Kei choked on the muffin she was busy shoving into his mouth. "Like I said, Keichi tends to run his mouth sometimes. It's an effort to shut him up!"
After a few seconds, Kei swallowed harshly, at let out a loud burp. At this, he clutched his chest, a wild smile on his face. "...worth it!"
"Heh. Ehe. Keichi can be such a dumb, you know?" Yuuko fanned her face with her fingers. Her cheeks looked particularly hot, and when she turned to look at Silas, she didn't quite make eye contact. "...Yamigawa-senpai, you don't agree with him. Right?"
"T-This sounds like its personal between you and him and I'd rather not get involved," Silas said quickly.
"It's not a personal thing! It's a matter of objective fact!" Yuuko insisted.
"Well, body weight is an objective fact, but one's perspective of one's own weight is pretty s-subjective, isn't it?!" Silas said. "I-I mean, no matter what I say, y-you were going to go on believing what you believed in the first place, right?"
Yuuko looked struck. "...so you agree with him."
"T-That's not what I meant!" Okay, well it sort of is, but that's not important -
The table lurched; Yuuko had risen from her seat. She looked like she was trying to burn holes through his skull with her eyes. At the same time, Kei had started giggling madly, and -
Oh.
Oh he had done it again.
"You…!" Yuuko's burning rage was gone all too soon, and she just stood there, meekly, intermittently glancing between her plate stacked high with sugar and Silas. "...are… probably right, actually."
"I-I-I didn't mean to say it out loud - !"
"But you're right, though! I… really do have a problem with sugar, ha…" She sat back down, and turned her face. "...gosh. You're lucky you're so cute - FUCK!"
Silas was drinking fruit punch from his goblet as she said this. He put the goblet down to see Yuuko burying her face in her hands. He bit his lip, trying desperately to maintain a passive, calm expression, and he said, innocently, "What is it?"
"...you didn't hear what I just said?"
"You were… s-saying… something?" Silas shrugged. There was a sudden bang; Kei had slammed his head onto the table, and his entire body was shaking in suppressed, wheezy laughter.
...oh god, she really does have a crush on me. I'll... I'll need to address this, eventually... how does this work? Should I like her back? But, no, I don't - I don't think I know her well enough. Do I?
And that besides, why would a person like me? Of all people? Is it a genuine kind of liking? Will she get bored of me? Will I frighten her? Arrgh, so many questions... I wonder if Big Sister can help me in that vein.
"Yuushi, are we suuuure senpai is 001-positive? He seems like an idiot."
"K-Kei-kun! Don't divulge classified information until after we subject senpai to the memetic trigger! And don't call senpai an idiot!"
"...hah?" Silas was genuinely confused now.
"Nothing!" They both said in unison.
"You'll find out later!" Yuuko said.
"You'll forget all about this if you come up negative, anyway, so it's all good," Kei added.
"Well… I wouldn't want him to forget about everything!"
"Fine, you'll forget about all the weird parts if you're negative." Kei rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about it, senpai. The three of us have it under control."
"Yeah!"
"Actually, speaking of which…" Silas was starting to wonder where Maeda even was. It seemed strange that she wasn't here, even if her non-presence was a lot more comforting than her presence. Was she busy? Was she… coming?
He heard a tiny click behind him.
"Maeda-senpai!" Yuuko was beaming.
"Yo." Maeda's voice sounded from the door, and Silas turned around to look at her - she seemed surprisingly relaxed when she was't wearing her jet-black Student Council uniform. She quickly slipped off her shoes. "I apologize for being late. I got caught up in some Student Council duties… actual Student Council duties." She groaned. "They're a real pain. It's nice to see you two again! ...oh. Hello, Yamigawa-kun."
He could practically feel the ice in the words - but for some reason, it didn't seem like they were directed at him with any kind of malevolence. "I was… actually hoping you would have come a little later."
"A-Am I intruding?" Silas asked.
Maeda waved her hands. "Oh, no, no. Nothing like that. I wanted to put this off until later… it's nothing." She looked away.
"...senpai. Now that you're here, come join us at the table!" Yuuko exclaimed.
Silas spoke up: "Yeah, err, Maeda-san, it will be nice to have you here… I… sort of… thought maybe… "
Maeda seemed to be considering it for a moment. But she hesitated. She looked at Silas, and for some reason he thought he could sense a feeling of… guilt? And still, she started towards the table. Her body was on the edge of pushing her towards the confectionaries. But she stopped herself.
"...no, I'm going to have to disappoint you, Yuuko. I do have a job to do, don't we? It'd be inappropriate. We'll continue this afterwards." She tried to smile.
"Huahh, Maeda-senpai is all business." Kei smirked. "Maeda-senpai, you have all the things you need? You won't need my or Yuuko-chan's help, will you?"
"I have the folder here with me," she tapped her purse. "And… you know you're not cleared to administer it, Kei. I'm sorry." She grinned. "I'll take care of it. You deserve a break! You've been doing so much recently."
She motioned towards Silas. "Come on, Yamigawa-kun. Now is… now is the time to start your Kimodameshi."
There was a strong, inherent… wrongness, with the way she said it. But he was in the heart of it now; it wasn't like he could turn back.
What was this feeling crawling up his throat? He could feel it in him; he could feel it coaxing him to push from his chair, and make his way towards her. A shaking, terrifying anticipation completely had him in its grip.
"...yeah. I guess it is. Lead the way, Maeda-san."
"We'll make use of one of Yuuko's spare bedrooms."
Yuuko made a faint noise of disapproval, but he was already gone from the table.
Silas has discovered several of Yuuko's traits!
Junior Cinnamon Bun - Yuuko is absolutely brimming with almost childish playfulness and innocence. To some, this is a sign of immaturity… but frankly, she couldn't give a damn. That being said, her insistence on maintaining her innocence makes it difficult for her to to morally dubious things. (+2 to all social actions, -3 to intrigue actions.)
Hopeless Romantic - Yuuko falls in love rather easily. This… tends to also means that she is disappointed easily, when it turns out her love isn't reciprocal. (Advantage on social actions with people whom Yuuko has a Crush. Disadvantage on all social actions with people whom Yuuko has had a Crush in the past. It is stupid easy to tell when Yuuko has a crush on someone or not.)
Silas has discovered that Yuuko has a crush on him! He still can't decide what to do about this.
[] It's not like Yuuko isn't pretty… (Silas thinks Yuuko is kind of cute too, actually.)
[] ...but Silas just doesn't see her that way. (Silas is flattered, but doesn't return her feelings.)
Continued in the next update. . .
